Surrogate alcohol
Encyclopedia
Surrogate alcohol is a term for any substance containing ethanol
that is consumed but is not meant for human consumption. Most people turn to these as a last resort either out of desperation or being unable to afford consumable alcoholic beverages.
, wine
or spirits
are. Typical surrogate alcohols include:
, impaired coordination
, balance
and judgment
, nausea
, vomiting
, blurred vision
, and even long-term effects such as heart failure and stroke
.
Besides alcohol, there are many other toxic substances in surrogate alcohol such as hydrogen peroxide
, antiseptics, ketones, as well as alcohols other than ethanol
(drinking alcohol) such as isopropanol and methanol
. Consumption of these can lead to internal hemorrhaging and scarring, ulcers
, headaches, CNS depression
, blindness
, coma
and death
.
contributing to the high rate of alcohol-related deaths in the country. During the reign of the Soviet Union
alcoholic beverages were often the only things the general public could afford, which led to the rampant alcoholism Russia still suffers today. Under Gorbachev
the 1985 alcohol reform attempted to fight widespread alcoholism by increasing prices and reducing availability, this created a black market economy for alcohol that included surrogates. Once the Soviet Union dissolved
however, alcohol prices went up, leading people to turn to cheaper surrogate alcohol to satisfy their craving.
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
that is consumed but is not meant for human consumption. Most people turn to these as a last resort either out of desperation or being unable to afford consumable alcoholic beverages.
Common surrogate alcohols
Many alcoholic liquids contain alcohol but are not meant to be drunk as beerBeer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
or spirits
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
are. Typical surrogate alcohols include:
- MouthwashMouthwashMouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used to enhance oral hygiene. Some manufacturers of mouthwash claim that antiseptic and anti-plaque mouth rinse kill the bacterial plaque causing cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath. Anti-cavity mouth rinse uses fluoride to protect against tooth decay...
- AftershaveAftershaveAftershave describes a lotion, gel, balm, powder, or liquid used mainly by men after they have finished shaving. It may contain an antiseptic agent such as denatured alcohol or stearate citrate to prevent infection of cuts...
or cologneEau de CologneEau de Cologne or simply Cologne is a toiletry, a perfume in a style that originated from Cologne, Germany. It is nowadays a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2-5% essential oils. However as of today cologne is a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water... - Cleaning fluids such as WindexWindexWindex is a trademark for a glass and hard-surface cleaner manufactured since 1933. S. C. Johnson acquired Windex in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since that time. The product was recently reformulated with more environmentally desirable solvents....
- Rubbing alcoholRubbing alcoholRubbing alcohol, USP / B.P. is a liquid prepared and used primarily for topical application. It is prepared from a special denatured alcohol solution and contains 97.5-100% by volume of pure, concentrated ethanol or isopropyl alcohol...
and other disinfectants - Rocket fuel
- Paints
- AntifreezeAntifreezeAntifreeze is a freeze preventive used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters....
- Wiper fluid
- Liquid soap
- Denatured Alcohol - EthanolEthanolEthanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
rendered unfit to drink by mixing with methanolMethanolMethanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
or bittering agents - Sterno Cocktail
- MoonshineMoonshineMoonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
and other homemade alcohols, including two or more of the above mixed together. - ExtractExtractAn extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form....
Dangers to health
Most surrogate alcohols have very high alcoholic levels, some as high as 97%, and thus can lead to alcohol poisoning, along with other symptoms of alcohol abuse such as vertigoVertigo (medical)
Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear...
, impaired coordination
Motor coordination
thumb|right|Motor coordination is shown in this animated sequence by [[Eadweard Muybridge]] of himself throwing a diskMotor coordination is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic and kinetic parameters that result in intended actions. Such movements usually smoothly and...
, balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
and judgment
Judgment
A judgment , in a legal context, is synonymous with the formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. At the same time the court may also make a range of court orders, such as imposing a sentence upon a guilty defendant in a criminal matter, or providing a remedy for the plaintiff in a civil...
, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
, vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
, blurred vision
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
, and even long-term effects such as heart failure and stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.
Besides alcohol, there are many other toxic substances in surrogate alcohol such as hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
, antiseptics, ketones, as well as alcohols other than ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
(drinking alcohol) such as isopropanol and methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
. Consumption of these can lead to internal hemorrhaging and scarring, ulcers
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
, headaches, CNS depression
CNS depression
Central nervous system depression or CNS depression refers to physiological depression of the central nervous system that can result in decreased rate of breathing, decreased heart rate, and loss of consciousness possibly leading to coma or death...
, blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
Russia
Surrogate alcohol is a common problem in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
contributing to the high rate of alcohol-related deaths in the country. During the reign of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
alcoholic beverages were often the only things the general public could afford, which led to the rampant alcoholism Russia still suffers today. Under Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
the 1985 alcohol reform attempted to fight widespread alcoholism by increasing prices and reducing availability, this created a black market economy for alcohol that included surrogates. Once the Soviet Union dissolved
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
however, alcohol prices went up, leading people to turn to cheaper surrogate alcohol to satisfy their craving.
External links
- http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news/Russian-surrogate-alcohols-are-a-killer-1846-1/
- http://alcoholism.about.com/od/work/a/blacer051016.htm
- http://www.boozenews.ca/index.php?itemid=133